It’s that time of the year, when Delhi gears up to come together and run on a common platform.
Come November 1, Delhi will experience the joy of running while celebrating the 2nd edition of the Airtel Delhi Half Marathon. Prize money of USD 210,000 on offer, some of the biggest names from the world of sport as Event Ambassadors, all half marathon participants to be chipped, free training packages offered by Reebok, exciting initiatives to give every participant an unforgettable experience on Race Day and a commitment from the Official Charity Partner, Concern India, to attempt for a significant increase in the monies raised towards charity are some of the exciting features heralding the arrival of the 2nd edition of the event. This was announced by Shri Suresh Kalmadi, MP and President, Indian Olympic Association, in the presence of Shireesh Joshi, Director Marketing Bharti Airtel, Dr. L K Bhanot, Secretary General, Organising Committee Commonwealth Games 2010 and Secretary, AFI, various partners to the event and officials from various governing bodies of the Delhi Government at a press conference to launch the event at the Official Host Hotel Le Meridien in New Delhi on Thursday, August 27. The first edition of the Airtel Delhi Half Marathon in 2008 was an enthralling experience for the capital city, to say the least. After the entire country was mesmerized by the magical racetrack composed by music maestro A R Rehman, Race Day saw a glittering galaxy of sports stars, Bollywood super stars and personalities from all walks of life join thousands and thousands of Delhiites to experience the magic of running.. “With the 2010 Commonwealth Games around the corner, the 2nd edition of the Airtel Delhi Half Marathon is the ideal precursor. I have watched the event grow tremendously and consider it the ideal platform to get the entire city of Delhi fit in time to welcome the Games. The IOA is proud of this event and wishes it all the very best in the years to come,” said IOA President Suresh Kalmadi. Said Shireesh Joshi, Director-Marketing, Bharti Airtel “Bharti Airtel is proud to bring to you the second Airtel Delhi Half Marathon – an event that has resonated with the people of Delhi. This city is well on its way to becoming a destination of choice for international sporting events, not only because of its superior infrastructure but also because of the spirit of the Delhiites. This marathon is dedicated to the joy of running and I am sure that Delhiites will participate again in large numbers this year to make this community event a grand success.” TIMING CHIPS MANADATORY: It is evident from the number of people registering for the half marathon, that the Airtel Delhi Half Marathon has helped inculcate the culture of running and fitness among the populace of Delhi. Last year around 8,000 people registered for the half marathon and the figure is expected to be much higher this time around.
To encourage runners to attempt this distance seriously, it has been decided from this year onwards to make the timing chip mandatory for all half marathon participants. Promoters Procam International are working towards the day when every participant in the Airtel Delhi Half Marathon will be running the 21.097 km distance competitively.